Rugby - Truck and Trailer!

[Caligastia]

I'll be off to Italy for 9 days on Friday. My wife and I are going over there to celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary. We will be hitting Venice, Florence, and Rome.

I imagine this thread will be full before I get back, so you guys might have to create a temporary thread for a while...

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak
Did you know incidentally that a certain former Bok skipper, the same one who called lock jaw the dirtiest player in the game just before the RWC, has signed with Northampton Saints. Saints of course are Tigers local rival and little love is lost between the two. They will meet us in the league twice this year allowing these old friends to say ‘hello’ once more.

He signed with them after his S12 career came to a premature head-butting end, didn't he? I've only seen Saints once or twice in HC matches, don't know much about them beyond that they seem to be chronic under-achievers. Maybe he will add some, um, steel to the outfit.

"Morning, Corne"

"Morning, J****"

Biff!

Not a problem. I said July because it is when pre-season training starts. League action commences the first weekend in September – by which time the tri-nations is done and dusted.

Fair enough. And any Boks' end-of-season touring?

Carlos will probably end up at Sarries with Kafer?

It will be interesting to see what he does. Stay and persevere? Nick off? Mehrtens stuck it out in spite of obviously very personal differences with key managers. Others wouldn't have stuck it out. One can only assume that he expected, eventually, to resume his spot? That he suspected Carlos might not stand up at Test level?

The problem here is a familiar one of the NZ Union not taking the disciplining of it players as seriously as it should be. We have seen it all before. Marshall has been rather silly and brought the game into disrepute – the NZ Union is doing it’s usual Ostriche thing. Problem? What problem? He was just offering an opinion. After the player had been cleared by officials.

Marshall carried on publicly about George Smith's tackle on him in the World Cup semi. On and on. Even carried it over into this season, how he was looking for revenge. What is it with Kiwi halves and their mouths?

[finbar]

Originally posted by Caligastia
I'll be off to Italy for 9 days on Friday. My wife and I are going over there to celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary. We will be hitting Venice, Florence, and Rome.

I don't know whether I've recommended it to you before - I recommend it to anyone who goes to Florence - but you should eat at Tredici Gobbi. It means "thirteen hunchbacks", an Italian symbol for luck. Owned by the Italian chef and his American wife. Wonderful food, and not hideously expensive, at least it wasn't prior to the arrival of the despicable Euro. Their Ragu on soft polenta is to die for.

Tredici Gobbi
Via del Porcellana, 9r
Florence, 50123
Phone: +39 055284567

It's near Santa Maria Novella. You would need to book.

I imagine this thread will be full before I get back, so you guys might have to create a temporary thread for a while...

Here's an early candidate for a title: Rugby - Lucky F***ing Caligastia!

[Caligastia]

Thanks Finbar.

[Caligastia]

Any other advice for Italy in general Finbar? I sent you a PM asking about this but I guess you don't check them much...

[finbar]

Originally posted by Caligastia
Any other advice for Italy in general Finbar? I sent you a PM asking about this but I guess you don't check them much...

Sent me a PM? I usually get an email telling me one's arrived. Not this time. Mmmm. Hang on, I'll go and check ...

Oh, and happy anniversary. We had our fifth back in February. Didn't go anywhere except to work the next day!

[finbar]

I PMd you two mountains of tips on Italy!

[Havak]

I'll be off to Italy for 9 days on Friday. My wife and I are going over there to celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary. We will be hitting Venice, Florence, and Rome.

Have a great time – you can’t go wrong with those venues. :b

don't know much about them beyond that they seem to be chronic under-achievers

A fascinating team actually. Formed in 1880 in all the time since they have won one Division two title and the European Cup once, in the worst final ever in 2000 against Munster when neither team scored a try. Under achievers fits the bill quite nicely. It’s increasingly funny (for a Tigers fan) when one considers they were bought lock, stock and barrel in 1995 by a local Millionaire Keith Barwell (made his money from those annoying free newspapers) who has literally poured millions into them. They have had squads that should have swept aside all comers, they employed Wayne Smith to convert the potential, but despite reaching play offs two years running and several more cup finals they have won nothing more.

It’s so sad.

Krige by the way has been linked with them for months but only actually put pen to paper during my recent fortnight off. Not all Saints fans are impressed – lingering memories of 2002 at HQ.

Not sure what he will add – they have always had niggle having had such players a Dawson, Pountney, Brouzet, Connors and Mendez all supplying that in the past. Not to mention that alongside krige they have signed Selborne Boome to keep things okay in that department.

Fair enough. And any Boks' end-of-season touring?

The club will release him I suspect. They always release England players however badly it disadvantages us – and have never yet stopped overseas players who are called up (unlike Wasps who stopped Leota going to the RWC alledgedly).

One can only assume that he expected, eventually, to resume his spot? That he suspected Carlos might not stand up at Test level?

Or he could juts be stubborn. Or simply not bright enough to take a hint. Whatever it was it worked for him.

What is it with Kiwi halves and their mouths?

They share genes with English coaches – not to mention the TV interview skills of the likes of Matt Burke and the younger George Gregan to wit “I hate the ******* Poms”?

A general observation about Euros – I went to Ireland twice last year, to Killarney and Dublin in fact, and heard nothing but complaints about how everything had increased in price. Most things have been rounded up to or past the nearest Euro apparently. France proved similarly dearer this year. Italy I suspect will have suffered the same fate.

On these grounds alone I am now keen we keep the pound.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak


Have a great time – you can’t go wrong with those venues. :b

He could go very wrong if he doesn't take me along as guide and interpreter!

It’s so sad.

They sound like the Waratahs!

Krige by the way has been linked with them for months but only actually put pen to paper during my recent fortnight off. Not all Saints fans are impressed – lingering memories of 2002 at HQ.

Mmm. I remember reading about him going there ages ago. Must've been a drawn out contract negotiation!

Or he could juts be stubborn. Or simply not bright enough to take a hint. Whatever it was it worked for him.

I think it's (1) stubborn; and (2) he had a strong feeling that Carlos wouldn't make it.

They share genes with English coaches – not to mention the TV interview skills of the likes of Matt Burke and the younger George Gregan to wit “I hate the ******* Poms”?

There's a difference between the truth and what the Kiwi halves blather on about.

Speaking of Justin Marshall, there was some interesting footage on the TV rugby show tonight. It rather disproved Marshall's allegations that Plank gouged him. In slow motion, Plank is seen to tackle Marshall and they fall to the ground. Plank's hands are nowhere near Marshall's left eye, the eye claimed to be gouged. As they fall, Meeuws charges into the tackle and his hand is seen to contact the left side of Marshall's face. So shut your gob, Mr Marshall.

A general observation about Euros – I went to Ireland twice last year, to Killarney and Dublin in fact, and heard nothing but complaints about how everything had increased in price. Most things have been rounded up to or past the nearest Euro apparently. France proved similarly dearer this year. Italy I suspect will have suffered the same fate.

I'm sure it has on the transition alone. The other factor, for us, is that the Lire/Oz dollar relationship was always in the Oz dollar's favour when other countries' currencies were the reverse. Now, we're stuck with the damn Euro/Oz dollar relationship.

[Havak]

And that certainly isn't so good.

Planet Rugby is worth a visit. I've realised for a while that the Polls get dominated by Kiwis on this site but the current one is tres amusing.

"Who is World Rugby's biggest Whinger?

Matt Dawson 3%
George Gregan 29%
Eddie Jones 39%
Justin Marshall 2%
Clive Woodward 27%"

No undue Kiwi influence on this poll then?

The sample is 5151. I voted for Marshall - only because Mehrtens was not there as an option.

[Caligastia]

Originally posted by finbar
I PMd you two mountains of tips on Italy!

Thanks for that.

I sent a reply (just in case poly doesn't email you).

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak

The sample is 5151. I voted for Marshall - only because Mehrtens was not there as an option.

I just voted for Marshall too. Lately, he's making Mehrtens look and sound like a deaf mute.

[Havak]

This year I would make him second to Clive for whining.

What are Toulouse up to Tamerlin - getting Frederic Michalak injured because of a shoulder problem picked up playing Taffies in a friendly! You cannot be happy?

[finbar]

Springboks 40 -d- All Blacks 26

Mmmm. And if Percy had kicked straight, the Boks would have put 50 on the ABs. Well, I don't know. I don't think I've seen a more nervous AB performance for a long time. Outplayed, yet again, in the forwards and even more so in the back row, the backline - continuing this obsession with the flat approach - were, yet again, easy pickings for the defence. Van Niekerk had a blinder off the back of the scrum and the AB flankers seemed to go missing. Ultimately, the Boks decided the quickest and easiest way to the try line was to run straight at Mehrtens. I'm not sure where G. Henry goes from here. Except to get McCaw and Robinson back and hope things improve. And give the obsession with the flat backline a rest. Next week promises to be a very interesting match.

[Havak]

I think the Boks have to be solid favourites. How quickly the world changes?!

Carlos may have a life line. You picked it up yourself Finbar but it was staggering, having read you saying how he had improved somewhat in this area in S12, to see Merhtens prove utterly useless in defence.

What does Henry do? Carlos has no plan B, Merhtens has no tackle. Is Carter the man he should try? I know nothing about the lad but the Bok commentators seem to think he may be the next man tried in the great Graham Henry merry go round.

The temptation to say ‘told you so’ about Mr H is proving almost irresistible.

What really concerns me is what this all says about the squad England took down south – I think in retrospect it was worse than I thought at the time – and that is terrifying! Still next time they come up to HQ, in five or six years time, we might have a strong aggressive defence again. You never know.

At the very least I am now happier the Lions tour should be more competitive than I had feared from Junes results.

*Edit* Wilko is due to play his first rugby of 2004 tomorrow in Falcons friendly against Galway. It's essential to Englands autumn hopes that he holds up to the test.